Love is Never Easy
by HPHGandPJfan
Summary: Cato's life sucks. His mother is dead, and he lives alone with his drunk father. The only two things he cares about are training to become a victor of the Hunger Games and his best friend, Clove. But, what happens when Clove and him are thrown into the Hunger Games together and only one can come out? Rated T for the Hunger Games and minor language
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! So this is my first fanfic! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. If only…**

Cato POV

I wake up with a feeling of excitement coursing through my body. Today is the day that I will be taken to the Capitol where I will enter the arena and I will dominate. I will kill the other 23 tributes, and I will leave as Victor of the 74th Hunger Games. Today, I will volunteer because today is the day of the reaping.

I get dressed in my training clothes and walk downstairs to find my dad drunk and passed out on the floor. Of course he's drunk. I haven't seen him sober since mom was alive, but that was eight years ago. Now, all he does is drink. He doesn't even care that his only son is about to volunteer for the Hunger Games. I mean, I'm not worried or anything, but shouldn't a father care that his own son is about to volunteer for a fight to the death or at least sober up for the occasion.

I walk into the kitchen and grab half a loaf of bread. I look around the room, and it's filthy. The dishes are either dirty in the sink or broken on the floor. Dust covers the cabinets and counters. There's mud and alcohol on the floor. My dad never cleans, I don't have time to, and we can't afford a maid. We can only afford our shack of a house because of some inheritance money my grandmother, a victor, left us. Dad spent the rest of the money on his alcohol, and since he doesn't work, we can barely pay for food.

I eat my bread and walk around the house as this will be that last time I see it. When I return, I will live in Victor's Village, and I will never have to worry about money again. I leave the house without even taking a second glance. I won't miss this place at all.

I run to the training center where I promised to meet Clove. She's my best friend and the only happy part of my life. I walk through the entrance and walk into the weapons' pit, and I see her. She's at the knife station. Of course. She loves to throw knives, and she never misses. Clove turns around. She locks eyes with me from across the room, and as I stare into her green eyes, a memory floods back into my mind.

_It was my first day of my second year of training. I was nine years old. My mom had just died a year ago, and my dad had started drinking. I entered the training center and walked to the second year room where I would spend that year training in hand to hand combat, as all eight or nine year olds do. I opened the door and went and sat down on the floor with the other kids. They were all talking, but I had no one to talk to. I had no friends. _

_The trainer entered the room, and we all stood up. He then paired us up and wanted to watch us fight to see each person's skill level. I was put with a kid I didn't know, but I beat him easily as I was much taller and bigger than he was. I beat the next boy, too. However, as I was fighting another boy, there was a loud yell from the hallway. The trainer ran towards the door and all the kids followed him._

_What I saw was quite strange. The mayor of District 2 was standing near the wall with an angry look on his face while a tiny girl with dark hair, green eyes, and freckles was in the arms of two trainers, kicking and screaming with absolute rage in her voice._

"_Let me train! I want to fight!" the little girl yelled._

"_No daughter of mine will train to participate in the Hunger Games!" the mayor replied._

"_Just let me do it!"_

"_You will not participate in such barbaric activities!"_

"_YES! I will!"_

"_I SAID NO, CLOVE!"_

"_But Dad," she said in a smaller voice. She was obviously not used to her father screaming at her. But even then, it was a normal occurrence for me._

"_Look Clove, your mother and I don't want you to do this…" the mayor said with a softer tone._

"_Daddy, please."  
_

"_Fine," the mayor answered. Clove squealed in delight and planted a kiss on her father's cheek. "However," the mayor continued, "you must stick to it and train hard because I want my daughter to become a victor."_

"_Thank you," Clove said. She ran toward the training rooms and bumped right into my chest. She fell to the floor, and I offered her my hand. I stared into her eyes, which I noticed are not completely green but have specks of gray in them. She ignored my hand and stuood up on her own._

"_Watch where you're going," Clove said with annoyance in her voice._

"_I think you ran into me," I responded._

"_True. Umm…"_

"_I'm Cato," I reached out my hand and she shook it._

"_Clove."_

"Earth to Cato," Clove says while waving a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"What about?"

"The first time we met."

"It's a good story, but I like the one about how we became friends better," Clove says with a smile.

"

I ended up with a broken nose, and you had a broken arm," I say, and her smile widens. Finally, we both start to laugh at the memory of how we became friends.

However, Clove stops quickly and asks me in a more serious tone, "Are you planning on trying to volunteer?"

"Yeah. Why? Are you worried?" I ask in a mocking tone.

"I'm just curious, and of course not! The only way you wouldn't come out of the arena alive is if I went in there with you," she jokes.

"Well, it's a good thing you're too young to compete to volunteer," I joke back.

"Speaking of the competition, doesn't it start soon? You should go. You don't want to be late."

"Okay. I'll see you at the reaping. Bye." I turn and walk towards the door that leads out of the weapons' pit. I hear thumps, which means Clove has started to throw her knives. I hear another thump. I don't turn around to see if she made it because I know she did.

I walk towards the room where we are tested. I've never been in this room before as it is my first year competing to volunteer. The trainers pick the best male in each age group between 16 and 18. I was chosen as the best out of the sixteen year old males and will compete with the best of the seventeen and eighteen year old males to see who gets to volunteer. The same goes for the girls as well, but I don't know who will be competing this year.

When I walk into the room, the other guys are already there along with the head trainer and a few other trainers. I stand next to the other competitors and look around the room. The ceiling is so high that I can't even see it because it is concealed in darkness. Blue mats cover the floor and there are racks and racks of weapons against one of the walls. My mouth curves into a smile. This will be fun.

The head trainer steps forward and begins to speak. "Hello, competitors. Today, one of you will volunteer for the Hunger Games. In order to volunteer, you must win this competition. First, you will each participate in hand to hand combat with a trainer. Then, you will show us your skills with your choice weapons. You will be judged on the amount of time it takes you to defeat your opponent in combat and how well you perform with your weapon. You may begin."

One of the trainers runs toward me and tries to punch me in the jaw, but I grab his fist, twist his arm, and then kick his feet so he loses his balance. The trainer stands up while massaging his arm, but I run at him. I elbow him in the face and punch him in the gut. The trainer falls to his knees where I deliver the final blow with my foot. The trainer lands on the mat with a thud. He's knocked out cold.

I turn my head and see that both of my opponents are still fighting other trainers. Yes! I got the best time. I will win.

The other guys finally finish, and it is time to show off our skills. I go first since I am the youngest. I walk towards the weapons' racks and grab a sword. I slice at the dummies. I cut off their heads and pierce their hearts without even a second thought. I kill until no dummies remain. Then, I return to the weapons' rack and grab a few spears. I stand as far away as I can from the targets on one wall and throw the spears with extreme accuracy. All of them hit the center. When I finish, the trainers thank me, and I sit on a bench next to the door.

I did amazing. There is no way I won't win. A cocky grin spreads across my face. As my opponents show off their skills, I don't pay attention and think about what will happen when I return home as victor of the 74th Hunger Games. I will live in a large house in Victor's Village, be able to buy anything I want, and spend all of my time with Clove and not my dad.

The other guys finish and the trainers send us out to wait in the hall while they decide who gets to volunteer. After a few minutes, the head trainer calls us back in.

"Okay, now after a very close competition, it has been decided that Cato Mason will volunteer."

I smile as trainers come and congratulate me and pat me on the back. I run out of the training center yelling with joy. The reaping starts soon so I make my way there. I don't even care that I'm still in my training clothes. I just care that I get to volunteer. I get to be a tribute. I get to be in the Hunger Games. I get to kill.

I look for Clove in the square and I finally see her, but I stop. She's wearing a gray dress that brings out the gray in her eyes and her dark hair is down. She looks so beautiful, but I can't think that. We're friends. Best friends.

"Cato!" she yells. Clove runs toward me and locks me in an embrace. She finally lets me go and asks "Well? How did it go?"

"You are looking at District Two's tribute in the 74th Hunger Games!" I practically yell.

"What? That kid over there?" She points to some random boy in the fourteen year old section and then smiles.

"Ha ha ha ha. You are so funny," I say, my words dripping with sarcasm. Just then, the mayor calls for our attention. I go to the 16 year old section and Clove goes to the 15 year old section.

I look at the stage where there are two giant glass bowls with paper slips and a countless number of chairs where past victors, the mayor, and District Two's escort all sit and watch the reaping. Clove's father starts reading the long story about the history of Panem and the even longer list of tributes from our district. I don't pay attention. Instead, I watch Clove. She stands in her section surrounded by other girls and watches her father speak. I continue to look at her, but the boys in my section are talking to their friends. They're all so loud. I sigh in frustration and turn my head back towards the stage

The mayor then introduces District Two's escort, Jewel Bellus, and she starts going on and on about what an honor it is to be representing District Two and how these Hunger Games are going to be great. Jewel walks over to one of the big glass bowls and says "Ladies first!" She reached in and pulls out a slip. She reads the name, but I can't hear it because of all the noise the boys around me are making. I see the girl walk to the stage, but I can't get a view of her face. She's tiny. She can't be more than 12 or 13. No one volunteers for her. This is going to be too easy.

"Now, it's time to choose our boy tribute!" Jewel says with too much enthusiasm. All the boys around me quiet down in fear. She grabs a slip of paper from the other glass bowl and reads the name. "John Web!"

A medium sized boy walks on stage. He looks about fifteen, and he's trying to look intimidating. It doesn't matter, though. As soon as Jewel asks for volunteers, I run forward and yell, "I volunteer!"

I run to the stage and stand next to the female tribute without looking at her. The mayor begins to read the Treaty of Treason, which he does every year, but I don't listen. I smirk at the crowd. I am going to win. I will be victor.

The mayor motions for the girl tribute and I to shake hands. I turn toward her. She has dark hair and freckles. Her eyes are green, but they have specks of gray in them. I finally learn the identity of the female tribute.

Clove.

**So what did everyone think? Review! I take all suggestions! I need some criticism! Seriously though tell me if it sucks. Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for everybody who viewed! Here is chapter two!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games :(**

Clove POV

Cato used to always think it was funny how my name was Clove Fields. He laughed at the fact that it looks like I was named after fields of flowers, but when I hear Jewel read my name, the last thing I want to do is laugh. This couldn't happen. My name was only in the bowl five times. I'm not ready. I wasn't supposed to volunteer for another year or two! Maybe someone will volunteer. Jewel asks the crowd for volunteers, but there is no movement. Everyone is still. No girls will volunteer for me, and I know exactly why.

No girl wants to volunteer for the girl that has everything. She's rich, her dad is the mayor, and she is one of the best girls at the training center. Those things may be true, but my life isn't that easy. I have three older sisters. They're all blond, tall, and beautiful. They have blue eyes and the only thing they worry about is their hair and clothes. Everyone expects me to be like them, but I'm not. I'm short, have dark hair, and I love to throw knives. I love to fight. I was going to volunteer, but I guess there's no need to now.

I stand on stage with a cold, hard expression on my face. I may not have wanted to be reaped, but I will not show weakness. I am still strong. I still have a chance of winning. When Jewel calls the boy, I know I can win. He will be my biggest competition, and I can beat him easily. I can become the next victor.

But, that's when the bomb drops. Jewel asks for volunteers, and Cato runs towards the stage yelling "I volunteer!" He has that cocky grin plastered on his face. He walks on the stage and stands next to me but won't look at me. He stares at the crowd with a smirk on his face. Finally, when it's time for us to shake hands, he turns toward me and a look of surprise and shock appears on his face.

Peacekeepers, then, bring us into the Justice Building where we will get to say goodbye to our family and friends. I have no friends except for Cato so only my family will visit me, if they even want to. My father and mother have never truly loved me because I am different. I don't look or act like my sisters. The only reason they agreed to let me train was to get me out of the house after they realized that I was a lost cause. There was no changing me. My sisters are the same way. They want me to be this girl that cares about what she looks like, but I would rather die than act like that. Good thing I'm going to be in the Hunger Games.

A peacekeeper opens the door and lets my parents in. They come and sit on the couch opposite of me. They sit there awkwardly, not sure what to say. Finally, my father speaks.

"Well, congratulations."

"What?" I ask astonished.

"Haven't you always wanted to be in the Hunger Games?" my mother says. I stare at her with a look of disbelief on my face.

"I wanted to volunteer. I wanted to be ready. I didn't want to be another helpless kid that got reaped. I wanted to bring pride to our district and to you…"

"Well, now you can, and you better. It would be embarrassing if my one daughter that trained didn't come home," my father says. My parents sit for a moment but then they get up and walk towards the door.

"Mom?" I call.

"Yes, dear?"

"Are Rose, Violet, or Lily coming to say goodbye?"

"I'm afraid not. Your sisters had a party to go to."

"Oh," is all I can get out. My sisters would rather go to a party than come and see me, maybe for the last time.

"Goodbye, Clove. Don't disappoint us," my father says, and then he and my mother walk out of the room, leaving me alone. I sit on the couch taking in my father's last words. They weren't "I hope you win" or "I'll be rooting for you." They weren't even "I love you." I guess my parents are happy to get rid of me. I was a burden to them. Tears threaten to fall down my face, but I will not cry. I am still a career. I am still strong.

A peacekeeper walks into the room and escorts me to a car. I get in and sit beside Jewel. Cato is on her other side, but I can't look at him so I focus on the back of the seat in front of me. Jewel starts to go on and on about how luxurious the Capitol is and how we'll love it, but I don't listen. All I can do is think about my conversation with my parents.

The car stops and more peacekeepers bring us to the platform where our picture is taken. I scowl at the crowd, but Cato is playing this game differently. He gives the cameras a smirk and tries to look like this whole situation amuses him. We both then step onto the train and I gasp. I thought that the interior wouldn't look that different from the inside of my house at home, but I was wrong. Lavish white sofas lay on a steel floor and a mahogany dining table and chairs are positioned in the center of the room. It doesn't even look like a train. I turn to Cato and see him staring at me. Then, he runs towards me and hugs me so tightly. However, I eventually push him off. I look at him, and rage starts to build inside of me. How dare he volunteer! How could he after he knew that only one of us could come out.

"What the hell, Cato?!" I yell. For the second time today, he looks at me with a shocked expression on his face. "Why on earth would you volunteer?!"

"I… I didn't…"

"Spit it out you asshole!"

"I didn't… I didn't know you were you were reaped," he says slowly.

"What do you mean you didn't know I was reaped?! Did you not hear Jewel call my name?! Did you not see me walk up on stage and stand there and watch you volunteer?!" He's silent for a moment. "Answer me!" I yell.

"I didn't hear your name called! Okay! I didn't see your face! If I did, I wouldn't have volunteered!" he yells, his voice getting louder with every sentence.

"YOU…" my voice falters. "You mean, you didn't know it was me when you volunteered?"

"Of course not!" he starts, but he stops and continues in a softer voice. "Clove, you're my best friend. I would never intentionally do something to hurt you."

I grab him and pull him into a hug, and we stand there, arms wrapped around each other until we are interrupted by a loud squeal. "OH MY GOODNESS!"

We turn and see Jewel standing in the doorway shaking and giggling with excitement. She looks ridiculous. Her curly purple hair goes down past her waist and her fake five inch eyelashes touch her mouth every time she blinks. She wears pink eight inch heels and a strange pink outfit to go with them. However, the strangest part of it is her skin. She has died it blue and has pink and purple butterfly tattoos covering her hands, elbows, and knees.

"Are you two...?" Jewel doesn't finish and erupts into giggles again, but I get what she's trying to say. However, Cato answers first.

"God, no! We're just friends." It's the truth, but the way he says it hurts, as if the last thing he would ever want to do was date me. But, I don't think about him that way. I can't. Right? I dismiss the thought. We're friends. We're best friends.

As Jewel sits on the couch disappointed, Brutus and Enobaria, Cato's and my mentors, walk in and approach us. Brutus walks up to Cato.

"What can you do?" he asks. His voice is very deep, and he's huge, even bigger than Cato.

"I use a sword and can throw spears," he responds.

"No doubt there. Probably good at hand to hand combat, too," Enobaria says. She turns to me. "Unlike this one. How much do you weigh? Ninety pounds?" She laughs, and I clench my fists. "You know, Brutus, she's the mayor's kid. Probably never lifted a finger in her life. What's your talent, sweetie? Doing your hair?" She smiles. I can't take it. I grab a knife from the table and throw it at her. It literally misses her face by less than a centimeter.

A look of surprise makes its way onto her face, and I smile. "Next time you say anything like that to me again, Enobaria, you won't be so lucky." I walk away into a hallway with Cato on my heels. "You could've said something, you know."

"No, I think you handled that situation pretty well," he says sarcastically.

"So what are you saying?" I ask him.

"That you have a temper."

"I do not! And like you're one to talk! You nearly killed that guy last year!"

"Hey, that's not fair!" he says, and I roll my eyes. I spot a door on my right that says "Female Tribute."

I open the door and turn around. "Sure it isn't, Cato." I smile and close the door and examine my room. There's a large bed against the wall and a dresser near the door. I walk into the bathroom and decide to take a shower. I undress and walk in. There's dozens of buttons, and I start pressing them randomly until hot water comes out. I then shampoo and condition my hair and wash my body. I then decide to start testing out the buttons. One squirts out this green gel and another starts to make the shower fill up like a bath. I finally get out and press yet another button that sends up hot air that dries my body and combs my hair. I then walk back into my room and grab a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from the dresser and put them on. I pull my hair back into a ponytail and then hear a knocking at the door.

"Clove?" It's Jewel. "It's time for dinner." I exit the room happily, as I am starving and make my way to the dining hall. I see Brutus, Cato, and (much to my displeasure) Enobaria already seated at the dining table. I sit down and serve myself steak and lobster tails. As I eat, Cato, Brutus, and Enobaria begin to talk.

"So, you guys know the plan?" Brutus asks.

"Wait, what plan?" I ask confused.

Cato fills me in. "You know, the usual career plan. We make an alliance with the tributes from District One and Four. I mean, if they're any good."

"Okay, great. Anything else?"

"Yeah," Enobaria says. "We will be arriving at the Capitol tomorrow, so in front of the cameras, you two must act ruthless. Even if I don't think one of you can pull it off." She smiles at me. "Okay?"

"Fine," I practically growl through my teeth.

"Cato senses my anger. "C'mon," he says and grabs my arm. "Let's go watch the recap of the reapings." He leads me to one of the sofas in the living area. Our mentors and escort follow us and we all sit. Jewel turns on the television, and we begin to watch.

The girl from One is tall and blond. She reminds me of my sisters. The type of girl that only cares about her looks and thinks only of herself. The boy is decent, though. He's tall and looks strong. His name is Marvel. The girl's is Glimmer. Ugh. Why are the names in District One so ridiculous? Next are Cato and I. We make a good impression with Cato volunteering. The District Three kids look like no challenge. They will die in the bloodbath. District Four presents a good girl tribute, but the boy looks as though he's thirteen. The rest of the tributes look useless and will probably all die in the bloodbath. I smile at the thought. This is why I wanted to train in the first place.

District Eleven stands out somehow. A tiny girl is reaped, but the boy tribute, if I can even call him a boy, is huge. He must be at least 6'5" and looks bigger than Brutus. Cato and I turn to each other. We need to definitely try to include him in our alliance. Cato is about to turn the television off, as District Twelve is always a joke. They only have had two victors. I don't even remember any of their tributes making it past the bloodbath. But before he can, I stop him because I notice another twelve year old girl being reaped. However, before she can even make it onto the stage, an older girl runs through the crowd screaming "I volunteer!" She makes her way to the little girl and they hug, but then the volunteer pushes the little girl away. She walks onstage and introduces herself as the little girl's sister. I can't believe it. Someone in District Twelve has volunteered.

"What the hell?!" I hear Cato scream. He jumps up from the couch and runs to the wall and punches it. I run up to him and examine the new dent in the wall. I turn to him.

"Cato, calm down. It's okay."

"Damn it, Clove! It's not okay! She volunteered for her sister! Who do you think will get more sponsors?!" he yells.

"Cato, it's fine. It's not like she can fight or…" I reach out to touch his strong arm, and that's where I make my mistake. He turns and shoves me to the ground. I fall and hit my head on something hard. The last thing I can remember seeing is Cato with a fearful expression on his face. He leans towards me, and then the whole world goes black.

**I know. I'm a terrible person. I ended with a cliffhanger and ruined a clato moment. **

**Anyway… thanks to frustratedpopcorn for reviewing! It literally made my day! So everyone else should review, too! I don't care if its criticism. I want to hear it! Thanks for reading and everyone should review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! I am back! Thanks to everyone that has viewed and thanks to my anonymous reviewer! So who went and bought Les Miserables and watched it? I totally did! Anyway…**

**Oh, by the way, I will be following the plot line of the book, but if there are any details (such as tribute parade costumes) that are not mentioned in the book but are shown in the movie, I will use them.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games… if I did, Glimmer would have stayed away from Cato**

Cato POV

I regret what I did as soon as it happened. I was angry because someone outshined Clove and me. That wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to be the best tributes. We were supposed to get the most sponsors, and no one should've been able to take that away from us.

The worst part is I hurt Clove. As soon as I shoved her, I realized what I had done. I turned around in fear. She fell to the ground and knocked her head on the corner of a coffee table. She was unconscious and I picked her up and ran to her room where I yelled for one of the Capitol people to come and help and I swear my voice cracked on each syllable. One of the attendants entered and started to examine Clove. My Clove. I had hurt her. Tears started to fall freely down my face. I had never been so scared in my entire life.

Now, I sit in her room with her and one of the Capitol people. The attendant gets up and says Clove will be fine, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The Capitol person leaves, and I sit next to Clove's bed and cry in silence. After a few minutes, I hear a knock at the door. I wipe the tears from my face and answer the door. Jewel, Brutus and Enobaria, are standing in hall.

"How is she?" Brutus asks.

"The attendant said she will be fine," I reply while trying to hide all of my emotion.

"Awww… Is Cato upset he hurt his little girlfriend?" Enobaria says in a mocking tone. Obviously, I didn't do a very good job.

"Shut the hell up, Enobaria," I say weakly.

"Awww… You're mad," Enobaria says. "What are you going to do? Shove me into a coffee table?"

Her words hit me, and I sink down against the wall. "Damn it! Do you not think that I regret what I did? Do you think this is all some joke? Well, it's not! I hurt Clove. I hurt my best friend! I will never be able to live with myself! I have always been the one to protect her! But now…" I cover my face so they can't see me cry, but before long a weak voice speaks.

"God, Cato! Don't you know that I am fully capable of taking care of myself?"

I look up and stare into those beautiful gray and green eyes. "Clove." I run over to her. "Oh God, Clove. I am so sorry. Please forgive me."

She stares at me and answers. "Cato, I'm not mad. I know you were just angry at the girl from District Twelve." She pauses. "But, if you still think that I am the one with the temper, then I will be mad at you."

I smile. "How could I still think that after how I reacted?" We both smile.

"I hate to interrupt you two's little moment, but it's been a long day. I think it's time for everyone to go to bed," Brutus says. He, Jewel, and Enobaria all exit the room, leaving Clove and me alone.

"I really am sorry, Clove," I tell her.

"Cato, it's fine."

"No, Clove. It's not fine! I let my temper get the best of me! I hurt you!"

"Cato, I know you, and you would never hurt me on purpose. You were angry, and when you are angry, you get violent. And, if that's what I have to put up with in order to be your friend, then that's what I will put up with. Cato, you are my best friend, and you are stuck with me, whether you like it or not." She smiles at me, and I smile back. I walk over to her and hug her. I, then, kiss her on the forehead. "You are the best friend a girl could have." And, we just sit on her bed wrapped in each other's arms until I hear her yawn. I chuckle.

"Alright Clove, why don't you go to sleep and I'll go to my room?" I ask her. She doesn't respond. I look at her face and find her eyes are already closed. I lay her down on her bed, get up, and exit the room. I walk down the hall and find a door labeled "Male Tribute." I walk in and change into pajamas, which for me consists of sweatpants as I sleep without a shirt on. I crawl into bed and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

_I dream that I am in the Games. The arena is full of mountains and mountains only. I am in a cave in the side of one of the mountains. In the middle of the cave is a small fire. Clove lay asleep next to the fire. I walk to the mouth of the cave and look at the view. We are so high up that I am at eye level with clouds. It is night time, and the anthem begins to play. The night sky is suddenly lit up with the pictures of twenty two tributes, which must all be dead. Clove and I are the only tributes left and only one can go home. I know what I must do._

_But, I don't want to kill Clove. I don't want to hurt her in anyway. I walk back to the fire where a sword now lay near it. I reach to grab it, but I don't want to. I try to walk back towards the mouth of the cave, but I can't. I can't control my body. I pick up the sword and swing it a few times in my hand. I walk over to Clove, and she stands up and is fully awake. Her eyes are wide, and she looks terrified. I would never hurt her and I want to tell her that, but I have no control over speech either._

"_PLEASE!" she screams. "Please don't kill me!" She runs away from me to the back of the cave, but her path is blocked by a wall of rock._

_I laugh at her, but I don't want to. I walk towards her and raise my sword. "Stop!" I think to myself. However, despite my plea, I swing the sword at Clove, but she dodges it. Instead of piercing her heart, my sword cuts off her hand. We both start screaming, her out loud and me in my head. I pick her hand up from off the ground and run towards Clove. I pin her up against the cave wall and use her hand to draw a target of blood on her chest. "Please! Stop!" I yell inside my head. I take a step back. I point my sword at her heart with one hand and hold her against the wall with the other._

"_NO! Please! Cato, stop!" Clove yells through sobs. My mind echoes her cries, but I do not stop. My sword enters her body, and Clove goes still. I scream in my head. As soon as Clove's cannon goes off, I gain control of my body, and I run to her. I am screaming and sobbing._

"_CLOVE!" I scream, as if trying to call her back, but she will never come back. And it's all my fault. I can't take it! I grab my sword and pierce my heart, but my heart continues beating. I cannot die. In order to mock me even more, my heart starts beating louder and louder. I hear someone calling my name. I try to call back, but I can't hear my voice over my heartbeat._

"_Cato!"_

I sit up in my bed. I'm soaked with sweat. For a second, I'm afraid I'm still dreaming because I can still hear my loud heartbeat and someone calling my name. However, I learn it is just Jewel knocking on my door and yelling for me to get up.

"I'll be out soon!" I yell back to her. I run into the bathroom and take a quick shower while trying to avoid thinking of my dream. I get out and spike my hair up. I grab a t-shirt and a pair of black pants from the dresser and put them on. I run into the dining car and sit down.

"Well, nice for you to join us, sleeping beauty," Enobaria says, and it's true. I overslept. Everyone else has almost finished their breakfast, so I quickly gulp down some waffles, eggs, and fruit along with some hot chocolate.

"So," Clove says. I stare at her, and all I can imagine is her body cold and bloody with my sword sticking out of her heart. I close my eyes and allow for myself to calm down. "Any words of wisdom before we go to the Remake Center?"

"Yes. No matter what the stylists or your prep team do to you, don't resist," Brutus tells us.

"But what if…" Clove starts.

"Doesn't matter. Don't resist."

"Ugh… Fine," Clove says unhappily. I know she can't stand make up and fashion and all that stuff. However, before Clove can complain again, the windows go black. We must have entered the tunnel that goes through the mountains to get to the Capitol. After a few minutes, the light returns, and we can see the Capitol. It's amazing. I mean I've seen the Capitol on the television, but the cameras haven't properly captured its grandeur. The buildings are so tall and the light seems to bounce off them perfectly. However, everything else is strange. The dyed people look like brightly colored animals.

The train stops at a station, and Clove and I get off. Peacekeepers, then, escort us into the Remake Center. Clove is led into one room and I go into another one where I come face to face with three of the strangest looking people I have ever seen. One of them has milky white skin and sea foam green hair and golden tattoos on her face. I'm pretty sure the other two are men, but both have had so much plastic surgery, so it's kind of hard to be sure. Both their faces are so tight that their mouths look permanently open. One has yellow hair that's so bright it hurts my eyes. In contrast, he has dark skin and black eyes. The other man looks older, but is desperately trying to look young. He has jet black hair that is slicked back with hair gel and red tattoos covering his arms.

"Hello!" the woman squeaks in her awful Capitol accent. "I'm Priscilla, and this is Zayne," she points to the man with the yellow hair, "and Christoff," she points to the older man with the tattoos. "We are your prep team and will prepare you for the Tribute Parade! We are here to make you look good, not that you need it!" she giggles. "Okay, Zayne and Christoff, why don't you guys go and wash off Cato while I get the wax ready."

Zayne and Christoff take me into a room with a tub where they scrub me down and wash off the dirt along with at least two layers of skin. They then wash my hair and apply this strange ointment on my body. After I'm clean, I'm taken back to the original room where Priscilla tells me to lay down on a table. She applies wax onto my legs and chests. It doesn't hurt that bad. I mean, my dad has caused me more pain. Later, she plucks my eyebrows and spreads a lotion like substance on my face that is supposed to stifle hair growth. When Priscilla finishes, Christoff styles my hair. Finally, I am done.

"I think we should call Lucille in!" Zayne says with too much enthusiasm. Priscilla, Christoff, and Zayne exit the room. A few minutes later, a woman walks in, and she seems to have the craziest fashion sense of all. She looks like a rainbow through up on her. Every piece of her clothing is a different color. Her hair is multicolored and ranges from orange to magenta. Strangely, she has left her skin alone, but her ten inch red shoes mask her one normality.

"Hello," she says in her strange Capitol voice. "I am Lucille, your stylist. Now, Cato, you are from District Two, correct?"

_Well, duh. _I think in my head, but I refrain from saying it. I must make a good impression. "Yes, I am."

"And District Two is the masonry district?"

"Yes."

"So, for your costume, I will be dressing you in and Ancient Roman outfit. Do you know who the Romans were?" she asks.

"No," I answer truthfully. I never paid attention in school as training was my priority.

"Well, they were people from an ancient civilization that were known for their architecture and their ruthlessness, so my partner, Paris, and I have decided to dress you and your district partner up as Romans."

Lucille goes and retrieves my costume from a closet and shows it to me. I smile. The breastplate is golden and sleeveless which will show off the muscles in my arms. The helmet is also golden and has wings on it. It kind of resembles a Victor's crown. I also get to where sandals. The skirt I'm not too thrilled about, but the rest of the costume makes up for it. I put the costume on, and afterwards, Lucille applies only a small amount of makeup (thank God), and then she brings me to the bottom level of the Remake Center, which looks like a giant stable. It probably is considering all it does is hold the horses meant to pull the tributes' chariots.

I walk over to the District Two chariot. The horses are a golden brown. Perfect for Clove and me. I look around the room. A few of the other tributes are here but none that I want to talk to, so I just sit and wait for Clove to show up. After a few minutes the boy from One arrives, and he walks up to me. He's wearing a pink fluffy outfit, as District One specializes in luxury.

"Hey," he says. "I'm Marvel."

"Cato," I reply. He doesn't say anything back, and we just sit there in silence for a while until he says something again.

"So… I guess we are going to be allies."

"Yeah, that's the plan, but I have to discuss it with my district partner, Clove. So far, the alliance is her, you, and me. But, I think we should include the girl from your district and the girl from Four."

"Yeah. I agree. Glimmer could get us sponsors, and the girl from Four looks good enough." Again, we sit in silence until the girl from his district, Glimmer, shows up. "Uh… Bye," he says, and then walks over to Glimmer, also in a pink fluffy costume, where she stands near a chariot with white horses instead of golden. I look around the room. More of the tributes have arrived; making Clove the only one left with her stylist. I examine them once more and smile. None of them look as good as I do. I mean District Twelve is dressed in black unitards. I don't even know why I was worried about them in the first place.

I sit near the chariot and scare the other tributes with my facial expressions. It's really fun. All I have to do is scowl at them, and they turn around in fear. I look near the elevator, in order to scare District Nine, when I see her. She looks gorgeous. Her dark hair is pulled back into an elegant braid, and she wears some makeup that makes all of her facial features pop. She also wears a golden breastplate and helmet, but she looks so much better in it than I do. I can't stop staring at her, and she seems to notice that as she walks over to me.

"What? I can't look that bad," she says jokingly.

"Uh…" I can't form any words in my mouth. _Pull it together, Cato. _I think to myself. She is my best friend. I shouldn't feel this way, even if she does look beautiful. I regain my composure.

"Yeah right Clove, you look amazing."

She blushes. "Thanks."

"So, why did it take you so long to get here?" I ask.

"Um… Well, let's just say I might have resisted in the teeniest way possible," she says innocently.

"Alright, spit it out. What did you do?" I ask, interested.

"Well, let me tell you the background story. I was cooperating and everything until Paris tried to take away my knife!" Uh-oh. Paris shouldn't have done that. Clove loves her knife. She hasn't been without it since she was ten. She sleeps with it every night. "So, I may have accidently broken his nose." She smiles and I burst out laughing. "You know, he said that now it would be easier for him to get a nose job." We both start laughing, earning us stares from some of the other tributes, but I don't care.

It's announced that the Tribute Parade is about to start, and I climb onto the chariot. Clove tries to get on, too, but her skirt, which is longer than mine, doesn't allow a lot of movement. All she can do is walk, so I pick her up and pull her onto the chariot, and we both smile. The District One chariot begins to make its way to the City Circle, and the smiles are wiped off our faces. A cocky grin spreads onto my face, and Clove scowls. Our horses begin to pull our chariot, and we exit the Remake Center. I look at the crowd. There are hundreds of ridiculously dressed people, and they all are applauding and calling out Clove's and my names. My smile widens. I look at Clove, and she is giving the crowd a deadly stare. There is no way we won't get the most sponsors.

However, suddenly the applause dies down. I can no longer hear my name being called. But, just as quickly as it stopped, the applause starts again, this time five times louder. All of the audience members are throwing flowers to one of the chariots and calling their names. I turn around to see who it is, and the smile quickly leaves my face.

It's District Twelve.

And they are on fire.

**Ok? So…. What did you guys think? Leave me a review! Criticize if you think I need it! Seriously! Oh, and do you guys think I made Cato too soft? PM me what you think! Seriously, you guys should review!**


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